Since one of the aims of this blog is to give an insight into the life of a Teacher, I thought for today’s post I would give an account of my day. There was nothing special about today at all!

My day always starts with registration, an S6 class, all 31 of them! Today they were handing in forms for University applications. In addition, the house captains were reporting back to the class after a school council meeting. All this in the space of 6 minutes!

My first class was my mixed ability S3 Standard Grade class. They were working on preparing a guide book explaining all the weapons and new forms of technology used during the First World War. This task allowed them the freedom to choose which weapons were to be included in the booklet and design the layout themselves. The pupils like this project as they can concentrate on particular areas that interest them. While this was going on, I was giving back their ‘Causes of War’ tests and discussing their targets for the coming months with each pupil individually. The pupils displayed a very mature attitude when setting themselves targets as they were not only challenging but also realistic for each pupil.

The next class was a Second Year class. Yesterday this class was split into two groups and set the task of producing a TV news report about one of the dangers of modern day exploration. One group was concentrating on the black hole while the other group was looking at the bermuda triangle. Today they were finished their scripts and then we recorded the news broadcasts. This allowed the pupils to work together in groups and use the video camera. In addition, they also had compete control of their own reports. At the end of the lesson we watched the videos and, while they were highly entertaining, the class had managed to show the dangers faced by todays explorers.

During my non-contact period I prepared for my afternoon lessons, did some photocopying, deposited money that I had received from pupils for their Activities Week trip and marked some Standard Grade tests.

My S4 Standard Grade classes are looking at the Women’s Suffrage Movement.  The classes split themselves into a boys group and a girls group and I gave the groups some time to put together an argument and then we debated the issue  ‘Women should get the vote’. The groups took their arguments very seriously with some very heated debating going on. However, no matter which side they were on, all the pupils left with an understanding of the differing opinions about the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

At lunchtime, I held my weekly ’drop in’ session for my certificate classes where they can come and ask for help with anypart of the course or indeed with homework tasks.

The Higher class are looking at the Berlin Wall and today we were examining the reasons behind the building of the wall and its consequences. To show the more human side of the closure of the border, we watched a video which clearly outlined the devastiation of families being split up and the desperate attempts of the East Germans to cross the border.

Teaching is certainly one profession where it is impossible to be bored, no two days are the same and there are so many things going on. As I said this was a ‘normal’ day!

Unfortunately I did not manage to make the Scottish Learning Festival at the SECC this week. However, I was able to watch the Teachmeet Seminar live via Flashmeeting. Being a relative beginner in the use of video conferencing, I was surprised at how easy it was to become involved. I heard, and indeed watched, lots of interesting speakers, many of whom came from East Lothian. In addition, I was able to chat to various other teachers around not only Scotland but the world. It was great to meet these fellow educators and put faces to the names on their blogs.

Today my S2 class were studying the Moon Landings as part of their Discovery and Exploration unit. We watched a video which outlined the arguments that the Moon Landings were faked by the US Government in a bid to beat the Soviet Union during the Space Race. In the film, all the famous conspiracy theories including, why the flag moved in an apparant wind, why shadows appeared from different angles and the famous C rock were examined and then tested on a film set.

Before starting the video I asked the class to vote on whether they thought the historic moon landings were real or staged. A huge majority of the class said that they thought it was fake. However, upon asking the class’s opinion after they had watched the video, the reaction was much more mixed. This progressed into a debate amongst the members of the class and very soon the class became a group of young historians, weighing up the presented evidence to form a  balanced, well thought out and well expressed conclusion.

The pupils of course did not realise that they had turned into skilled historians as they thought that they were simply discussing their own opinions. However, this proves that the transferrable skills that are developed through the study of History can be used in everyday life, even if the pupils don’t realise it!

Ocean Youth Trust Scotland is a charity dedicated to giving young people, from all backgrounds, to experience ‘adventure under sail’. The trust runs 5 and 7 day youth work voyages for up to 12 youngsters between the ages of 12 and 24 on board one of their fleet of sail training vessels. OYTS relies heavily on over 200 volunteers who help to staff the boat, all are trained to a high standard.

This week I have been organising a trip on one of the OYTS’s boats for Knox Academy’s Activities Week in May next year. I was advised yesterday that the Southeasterlies support group, one of the regional fundraising groups based in Edinburgh, have agreed to donate us £1000 towards the cost of the voyage. This is excellent news as it will dramatically reduce the cost involved to the pupils. I would like to express my thanks to the Southeasterlies.

In return, a plug for the Southeasterlies who are having a quiz night in the Lothian and Borders Police Association Club on Thursday 18th October at 8pm. Entry is £5 per person. If you can make it, then come along and support this great cause and maybe win some fantastic prizes.

Probably one of the most popular topics in the Standard Grade History Course is Unit IIB (Cooperation and Conflict), aka World War One. The unit itself looks at the causes of the war including the Arms Race, Imperialism, Alliances and Nationalism, before moving on to look at the experiences of the soldiers and the civilians, both in Britain and Germany. It also examines the technology that was used for the first time during the Great War, and the trenches which led to months of stalemate.

This is my favourite topic within the curriculum because it really engages the pupils. No pupil can fail to be moved at the pictures depicting the bravery and suffering of so many fighting for their country. Everytime I teach this unit I find myself tweaking my lessons to allow the pupils to develop their enthusiasim and interest, and allow them to explore the topic fully.

However, one activity I introduced last year was a homework excersise. The pupils were set the task of making a model of a World War One trench. They were given a month to complete this task and were given complete freedom as to the materials that they used. The pupils produced some amazing trenches showing a great deal of thought and indeed talent. The timing of the course meant that the homework was due in the week before Remembrance Day. We displayed our models in the Library in the lead up to Remembrance Day where they were admired by staff and pupils alike. We then invited the Head Teacher, the Head of History and the Librarian in to pick 3 winners. All pupils were rewarded with positive referrals.

This week, while teaching WW1 to my new S3 class, I was asked ‘can we make model trenches?’ I was amazed by the enthusiasim and excitment around the class even when I explained that this was a homework task and there would be no time given in class to complete the models. We have not yet started looking at trenches but already the pupils are discussing materials that they plan to use.

Clearly this is one activity that I will not be changing!

I love History, the stories, the comedies, the conflicts. There is nothing better than getting a class of 30 pupils arguing amongst themselves about the causes of the First World War, or about the value of Braveheart as a source of historical evidence. However, for me, the best part of teaching is the opportunity to become involved in many different activities outwith the classroom. Since starting my teaching career, I have been involved in model making, rock climbing, kayaking, trips to Alton Towers, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and much more.

Recently I have started a school pipeband which is my first experience of being a Pipe Major. It seems to have really taken off with 4 pipers, 4 side drummers, 2 tenor drummers and a bass drummer. I am really pleased with the way rehersals have been going and our aim is to play Highland Cathedral at a school event held for Remembrance Day this year. I hope that by playing in the pipeband pupils will gain greater confidence as well as learning a new skill.

In addition to the pipeband, this year I have become an officer in the Knox Academy CCF. Knox Academy is one of the only public schools in Britain to have a Combined Cadet Force and next year it will be celebrating it’s centenery. I have to admit that at the beginning I was a little apprehensive about pupils playing soldiers and taking part in simulated army manoeuvres. However, my mind was quickly changed when I witnessed pupils as young as Second Year taking on responsibility for teaching the ‘recruits’ (S1) the ways of the cadets. Moreover, the military style discipline that is instilled in each cadet can only be viewed as a good thing when you see them taking pride in polishing their boots, ironing their shirt or being able to follow orders and march in formation. Age is no barrier in the cadets as all year groups bond together as one team, indeed the senior cadets act as buddies for the recruits both at cadets and in school.

I firmly believe that the involvement in extra curricular clubs and societies enhances learning and teaching. Relationships can be built up very quickly between staff and pupils out on the hills in the pouring rain, and pupils really appreciate teachers taking an interest in their hobbies and valuing them as indivduals. And its these relationships that allow pupils to see teachers as human beings, people who thay can talk to when they need advice about a particular area of the curriculum, of indeed in if they are being bullied.

All of these activities fit perfectly into A Curriculum for Excellence, giving the pupils responsibilties and allowing them to socialise with others as well as helping them learn new skills, which in turn increases their confidence.

Last weekend I was fortunate to accompany our S6 to a PGL camp at Dalguise. The aim of the weekend was to give the pupils the chance to bond as a group whilst building positive working relationships with the staff. The pupils were split into groups of 9 and given the opportunity to take part in a wide variety of activities including, absailing, rock climbing, raft building, quad biking and jumping out of trees (with harnesses of course!). In the evenings the pupils were treated to entertainment run by the PGL staff including a Mr and Mrs Dalguise competition and a disco. The weekend was a huge success and everyone left with a clear picture of what was expected of an S6 year group as well as ideas on how to make the year enjoyable for all.

I am a History teacher currently teaching at Knox Academy in East Lothian. I hope that this site will serve a number of purposes,

• to provide an insight into the life of a secondary school teacher.

• to highlight current issues in Scottish Education and in History as a subject area.

• to provide a means of sharing good practice and resources.